Show us your 3 pickup basses!

[BlueTalon]

im considering a 3 pup jazz build using fender super 55s with two pups in the regular positions and a third in the Rickenbacker bridge position since i really love using the neck only coil on my musicman bass (which is positioned in a similar place). has anyone done anything similar? closest ive found here are @BlueTalon jazz bass and a build by devon designs who appears to no longer be active as i cannot tag him.

The Super 55 is the best sounding jazz pickup Fender ever made, IMO. (So of course Fender quit making them.) For my bass, I used two neck pickups and a bridge pickup. If you can actually find them, I heartily recommend using them in your project.

On my bass, I had Warmoth put the bridge pickup in the normal position (not the 60's reposition), and then had the holes for the neck pickups routed 2" apart edge-to-edge without regard to sound or harmonic nodes or anything else. The end result was fantastic, certainly the best sounding passive bass I own.

 

[LowWay]

In case anyone wants to follow my 3 pickup bass build:

Post in thread 'LowWay's 5th 30" Bordwell Build Thread'

Jul 16, 2026

neck blank:

• LowWay

• 

 

[Panych]

Here you are….

 

[BlueTalon]

Here you are….
View attachment 7537837

I'd like those types of basses more if the angle of the pickups matched the angle of the frets and bridge.

 

[Bonedoge]

My custom made Yamaha SG style 3 pickup 8 string bass. Neck through, passive with 3 epiphone probucker 760 T-bird pickups.

 

[ctmullins]

View attachment 7538233

My custom made Yamaha SG style 3 pickup 8 string bass. Neck through, passive with 3 epiphone probucker 760 T-bird pickups.

*swoon*

 

[dave64o]

View attachment 7538233

My custom made Yamaha SG style 3 pickup 8 string bass. Neck through, passive with 3 epiphone probucker 760 T-bird pickups.

That's gorgeous!


How do the controls work? Three volume and a master tone?

 

[Bonedoge]

How do the controls work? Three volume and a master tone?

Yup. VVVT. I'm thinking about changing the config to volume+rotary selector+2band circuit tho..

 

[evil1603]

This has three of the new EMG slim soapbars. View attachment 7417762

Hey there, how do you like the new EMG’s? How would you describe the sound compared to their Jazz single coil pickups? Do the middle and bridge pickups combined get you into MM territory? So many questions great looking bass!